Bruins top prospect James Hagens has a big opportunity with the playoffs here.
The Boston Bruins will face off against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night for Game 1 of the first round. The Bruins will be looking to kick off the series on the right foot with a victory on the road.
While speaking to reporters, including Boston.com's Conor Ryan, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm shared that there is a "pretty good" chance that Hagens will be in the Original Six club's lineup against the Sabres for Game 1.
With Hagens likely to be in the lineup for the Bruins in Game 1, it is clear that the young forward has a big opportunity in front of him. The 19-year-old forward will be looking to impress, just like he did during his first two career regular-season games for the Bruins ahead of the playoffs.
The Bruins will certainly be hoping that Hagens can provide their top nine with a big boost this postseason, as he has the potential to do so. The 2025 seventh-overall pick is the Bruins' most exciting and skilled prospect, and his stats this season with Boston College effectively show this. In 34 games for BC this campaign, he had 23 goals and 47 points. If he can translate some of his offense over to the NHL level during the playoffs, it would be massive for the Bruins.
It will now be interesting to see how much of an impact Hagens makes for the Bruins this postseason from here.